Instagram sings the same song in a different tune as it continues to push reels, Stranger Things is ‘the place’ to be and Reddit encourages us to find our people.

This week, Instagram sings the same song in a different tune as it continues to push reels, Stranger Things is ‘the place’ to be and Reddit encourages us to find our people.

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Instagram opens Reels API access to third party platforms

Save the dates. On the 6th of July, Instagram will be introducing Reels to several endpoints on the platform as it opens its Reels API for external use. Meta announced that it will be extending its API access to third party platforms, like Sprout Social and Hootsuite, in order to give brands greater control. The access will make it easier for brands to keep track of social posts and schedules by providing cross-platform posting and analytics within a single dashboard. “We are always looking to improve our content publishing and consumption experiences, whether people use Instagram natively, or via a third-party,” Meta wrote, adding that the new API will support content publishing, insights, business discovery and hashtag search. The move is part of Instagram’s on-going effort to consolidate the user interface and experience around reels, which it believes are the most powerful form of content in the world today. Reels now make up more than 20% of the time that people spend on the platform, while 45% of Instagram accounts now interact with a Reel at least once a week. So keep your calendar out. More important dates are coming. 

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Stranger Things shows brands the power of the mind

Subconsciously driven to buy a product because you’ve seen it in a TV show? Stranger Things have happened. The hit TV show is becoming a cultural phenomenon of product placement according to a report by YouGov, which found that brands with placements in the show are experiencing an almost supernatural exposure value. Coke, which has held a special place in the show since the beginning, has seen the highest placement value of any brand so far with $1.83 million. Meanwhile, Lacoste has earnt $1.8 million worth of exposure in the first 28 days, despite only featuring in one episode. It is even proving valuable for companies who no longer manufacture the products featured, with Sony seeing a net placement valuation of $635,039 after a Walkman Cassette Player (which it stopped selling in 2010) was used in one of the most iconic scenes. As Netflix contemplates an ad-supported option, YouGov’s report shows just how powerful product placement on widely watched shows can be, allowing brands to get their products in front of a huge audience, while letting Netflix benefit from cross promotional efforts.

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Reddit makes its TV debut

Reddit has launched its first ever US TV campaign. ‘Find Your People’ showcases the platform's unique and innate ability to bring people together, especially those who have niche interests. Created in partnership with agency R/GA, the spot shows people sharing thoughts that draw blank stares or unhelpful responses from those around them, with Reddit Threads related to the subject appearing below as reassurance.  “Sometimes the people closest to us do not always ‘get’ us, but Reddit is a place where you can truly find your people - a place to express our passions, share our insecurities or just connect,” said Bryan Gregg, R/GA VP-executive creative director. The national campaign, which officially launched following the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, will run from now through Fall and will include TV, OTT, digital video, paid social and OOH placements in both the US and Canada. Reddit has taken a series of actions in recent years to develop the brand and build its community, including relaunching r/place, a collaborative online canvas, setting up an in-house creative agency called KarmaLab, and launching a Community Funds Program, which accepts nominations for projets to receive up to $50,000 in funding from the platform Reddit.

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